


Give me Shelter, Show Me Love

by Freerangeegghead



Category: Booksmart (2019)
Genre: A/U, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Mutants, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Angst, F/F, Mutant Powers, Sci-fi & Romance, Sci-fi angst, Superpowers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-07-19 13:47:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19975075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freerangeegghead/pseuds/Freerangeegghead
Summary: In which, Hope and Amy live in a world where power like theirs is dangerous and could get them killed. In this brave new world, can they find the strength to survive? Or will this new world eventually destroy them? (A/U, sci-fi)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I dunno...I just like this ship so much. Make me stop. Happy reading!

Later, much, much later, when the smoke clears and the ground has stopped shaking and they think it's safe enough to come out of their hiding place, they look and see a place that's been razed to the ground. Where before they had their camp, only a crater now stands, all charred and burnt and still burning under the light of the setting sun. Whatever has remained of their gear - tents and sleeping bags, packets of food scavenged, extra clothes stolen from the department store late at night at risk of being caught by the police or worse, agents, all gone. They stand on the edge of a forest, surrounded by trees, looking down at the wreckage below them, at what used to be their campsite. A wind blows, rustling leaves, ruffling hair and clothes, pushing the smoke in different directions.

"What the fuck?"

Hope says it as she stares at the wreckage and whips her head at Amy, glares, eyes so furious Amy cowers in fear. She marches towards Amy. 

"You could have gotten us killed!" Hope says then, furious, fringes on the right sleeve of her vintage fringe jacket shaking as she gestures towards Amy, breath coming out in white wisps as she tries not to shiver in the cold. Even with her red flannel, white shirt, thick, vintage, fringe jacket and jeans, it's still cold. Her feet feel cold in her Converse shoes.

Ryan is already between them, tattooed arm peeking from the rolled up sleeves of her shirt, holding Hope back, face concerned as she pushes her glasses back. "Easy there, cowboy, Amy didn't have anything to do with this..." 

"She's right," another voice piped up, "Amy had nothing to do with this." A short, stocky girl with large eyes says.

Hope glares at Molly.

"That could have been us out there!" Hope hisses between gritted teeth.

"Well, it wasn't," Ryan says. "Perks of having me around. We got away in time. No one's hurt, we live to survive another day."

Hope huffs and stomps away, angry. Ryan and Molly follow.

"Dude, I told you not to take her in,"Hope says to Ryan then. 

Ryan shrugs. "Dude, what was I going to do?" They both turn towards Amy. "She doesn't have anybody. She's all alone. She'll get herself killed. I mean look at her. She's not going to survive out there all alone. They're going to kill her."

Amy hugs herself against the cold, shivering. She's wearing a thin, long-sleeved shirt, jeans and shoes.

Hope curses under her breath. "Fuck, Ryan.  _ You're _ going to get us killed. You're like the fucking Pied Piper of freaks. You could at least have gotten us someone powerful."

"Everything happens for a reason, dude," Ryan tells her. "You never know. She could prove more valuable than you could ever imagine."

"I hope you're right,"Hope says. "'Cause right now, she's just another mouth to feed. And the more people we take in we get the more attention we attract."

"There's just the four of us, what the fuck are you talking about?"Molly demands.

Hope looks at Ryan. "Why is she still talking to me?"

"Really, Hope?" Molly asks, incredulous.

"I'm not interested in whatever you have to say," Hope says, putting her hand up.

"Are you still pissed?"Molly asks. "I said I was sorry."

"Do you ever shut up?"Hope asks.

"Look, I said I was sorry,"Molly says. "I'm sorry about Anabelle...I..."

Hope steps so close to Molly she squints and looks up at the taller girl looming above her. "Say her name again, I dare you."

Molly gulps.

Ryan rolls her eyes. There's never been a time that Hope and Molly aren't bickering. She steps between them.

" _ Amy's _ not going to hurt anyone. Look at her she's so cute and adorable," Ryan says.

"Oh, that's just fucking great," Hope says then, throwing her hands up, annoyed. "I'm going to fucking die because you have a boner for the new girl."

"Hope!" Ryan admonishes her then. "Not everything is about that. I just think..." She shrugs. "There's strength in numbers and if the agency is after her then she must have something they want. You know what happens to people like her. Or have you forgotten what happened to Anabelle?"

Hope glares at Ryan. "Don't fucking bring Anabelle up like that.  _ Fuck _ ." Just hearing her name makes Hope's heart twist again.

"Sorry,"Ryan mutters.

"That was a fucking close call," Hope says, changing the subject. "Are you sure you scanned her for any tracking device?"

"Considering the agency just torched our camp and our belongings, including our one device that actually does that, I can't do another sweep but I'm almost pretty sure I got all of it,"Ryan says.

Hope sighs, rubs absently at the scar at the back of her right hand, between her index finger and her thumb, where they'd once inserted a chip to track her when she was still at HQ. Taking it out was a bitch because the chip also had incorporated nanotech, small tendrils of tech that burrowed deep into your skin and tracked not only her location, but her movement and vitals. "Fine, but she's your responsibility. If she fucks up or gets us in trouble it's on you..."

Ryan nods eagerly as Molly breathes a sigh of relief. Ryan motions to Amy to come forward. Amy regards them with a guarded look and advances towards them suspiciously. Hope looks away. She knows that look. It's a very familiar look. It's the look of someone who's been on the run all her life and has been through a lot. She looks like she's going to hear some bad news. Like she's been turned away more times than she can count. She knows Ryan's right. What if it were Anabelle? And she can't deny the girl looks like she could use some friends, some help, people like Hope and Ryan and Molly. Looking at Amy looking all worried she knows they shouldn't turn her away.  _ Fuck _ .  _ Damn you, Ryan, _ Hope thinks.

"Hey, there," Ryan greets Amy cheerfully. "Um, sorry about...earlier...We're...just a bit on edge right now...you know how it is with...the Agency...nobody here wants to go back there...You know, because of the illegal experiments and...cruel and unusual punishment...and torture...and stuff..."

Amy nods. "I understand...Thanks anyway for giving me shelter for like...the night...I just...needed a place to stay for awhile anyway...I guess I'd better get going... I'll see you around..."

Amy waves, turns around, and starts to walk away. Molly glares at Hope, Hope glares back and Ryan just looks pleadingly at Hope.

" _ Fuck _ ,"Hope mutters. "Fine." She rolls her eyes as she says, "Um, Amy you can stay."

Amy turns. "Really? You sure?" She walks back toward them.

Hope raises her eyebrow. "Don't make me change my mind..."

Amy is so close now Hope can see freckles on her face, the flecks in the brown in her eyes, the reddish brown tint in her long hair. Hope looks away. No. She can't do this right now. Anabelle...she could still be out there. She'd seen Anabelle fall off the cliff herself but she could've survived. Anabelle's a brain like Molly, prized by the agency for their exceptional skills. She could have survived the fall.

Amy is about to say something when Hope raises a hand. Everyone stops, looks at her, puzzled.

"D'you hear that?" she asks.

Ryan shakes her head, confused. "I don't hear anything."

Hope looks at her squarely. "Exactly."

Everyone looks around. They realize she's right. Everything seems to have grown quiet.  _ Quieter _ , in fact. The wind has stopped blowing, the leaves have stopped rustling, the crickets that have started chirping, what few birds twittering have stopped. It's like the whole forest have stopped breathing, holding its breath. 

Then they all hear it. A steady humming sound that seems to grow louder and louder.

"Drones."

Hope says it with certainty, annoyance and that angry, defiant look that says she will fight. Molly and Ryan nod. Hope shakes her hands once and her hands burst into flames, surprising Amy so much she jumps back in surprise. Before she can say anything, the drones arrive and start shooting at them. Amy is about to run but Molly grabs her, pulls her towards her as Hope defensively stands in front of them, so that they are sandwiched between Hope and Ryan. Ryan bows her head, puts her hands up above her head, palms together, then as she slowly pulls them back she also creates a transparent, blue, shimmering forcefield protecting her, Hope, Molly and Amy. Amy looks at the forcefield in awe as the drones slam against them and explode. 

"We need to get going,"Hope says as she watches drones fire at the field. "There'll be more coming."

"Dude, you've got to destroy them,"Ryan says.

"Dude, you've got to pull the field down," Hope says.

"We'll be defenseless," Molly says.

"I know that. But we don't have a choice," Hope says. She turns to Ryan. "Go!"

Ryan nods, closes her hands in a fist, watches her forcefield go down, as she grabs Molly and Amy. Hope bows her head, closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and looks up, watches the flames from her hands grow into large, glowing fireballs levitating in her hands. With a grunt, she throws them at the drones and watches each one explode in mid-air.

"There'll be more coming," Hope says. "Fuck. We need to go.  _ Now _ ."

"We need to split up,"Ryan suggests. "I take Molly, you take Amy."

"Dude,no," Hope says. "We're stronger together. And why do I have to take the nerd? I thought she was  _ your _ responsibility."

"I'm taking the other nerd," Ryan says. "That way we have a better chance. I can protect Molly and you can protect Amy. This way we have a better chance of surviving."

Hope thinks about it before nodding. "Fine. You know the rendezvous point. If you don't see us there, you just go on to the next. Ms. Fine will be waiting for us. "She turns to Molly. "Molly, you know how to reach me."

Molly nods. "And can you not refer to us as nerds like we're not standing here right in front of you?"

Hope just glares at her.

"Err...you're right, we should get going," Molly says.

Hope grabs her backpack, tosses Ryan and Molly theirs and says, with a grim smile, "See you on the other side."

Molly and Ryan nod before they turn and disappear into the woods.


	2. Chapter 2

Hope and Amy walk and run, stop and hide, crouch and peek behind trees, fallen trunks, behind large boulders and shrubs and bushes, inside ditches and canals. Each time they see the hum of drones, lights flashing, a helicopter in the distance, shouts, dogs barking, the crack of a branch, they feel as if any moment they will get caught. Hope is calm though, and for an uncharacteristically tall girl - unusually stealthy, able to move between trees and overhead branches and dead branches and dried leaves and brush with the practiced ease of someone who has been doing this for a while now. She moves quietly, lightly, speaking only with hand gestures and facial expressions, body always in defensive position, hands up, knees bent, eyes watching and observant, body tense and ready to spring at any minute. She moves like a soldier. Moves like a killer. Amy guesses that she's a trained soldier, combat ready and trained in martial arts and self-defense. She guesses Hope might have led a mission or two, or at least was being trained to do so when she escaped. There's no denying it now - Hope must have escaped the Facility. Which in and of itself is quite a feat considering how difficult it is to escape the Facility - deep underground, steel fortified structure, concrete walls inches deep, state of the art security, retinal, fingerprint, facial and DNA scans and the best security force money can buy - large, former ex-Navy Seals and Ranger mercenaries trained to track and subdue and kill without hesitation. And of course drones, AI, and the best damn technology linked to every CCTV, which in turn is linked to satellites to make it easy to track them. All the more reason why they couldn't really go into cities and towns - it would be much easier to track and capture them there. Especially since restaurants and hotels and other establishments are on the lookout for mutants since an APB had been put out for them. Amy already knows they've been branded armed and dangerous and that anyone apprehending them have been authorized to use force whether ot not it's necessary. She's seen the footage of those mutants who've been tasered and clubbed with batons and gunned down because they were apparently "resisting arrest". Harold Murdoch had really done a good job making the public afraid of mutants.

That's why they'd taken to the woods - there would be a much better chance to hide and get away here. 

Amy guesses the Agency is as much looking for Hope as they are of her. A trained mutant soldier is valuable and a really good, skilled one even more so. 

***

It hadn't always been this way. They hadn't always been on the run. Most mutants enjoyed a relative obscurity, tolerance and safety from the rest of the world. But then the recession hit decades ago and the country had suffered. Jobs were lost. Houses and cars taken away. Debts grew. Families were shattered. Lives were destroyed. It was the worst recession the country had ever seen. It was hard to find and keep jobs, hard to get food and basic needs. Prices soared. Food stamps and soup kitchens became the norm. Condos and gated neighborhoods, malls and grocery stores were stormed and looted, riots broke out. As companies went bankrupt and folded, employees let go and CEOs received hefty bonuses, protests and riots broke out infront of Wall Street, big banks, at the headquarters of big financial companies. In the midst of all of these, companies realized they could hire people with "special abilities" - PSAs, which was code for mutants. Construction companies who couldn't afford to hire and pay ten people hired someone with the strength of ten for half the price, factories that needed people with extraordinary stamina were hired to work more than forty hours a week, companies who needed consultants for their think tanks hired "brains", mutants who had evolved to such a degree they were smarter than the smartest humans ever born. Even the police had gotten in on the action, hiring mutants with telekinetic abilities, superhuman strength and intelligence to join their ranks and control the crowd.

Then the tide had turned. As the economy worsened, people turned on the mutants. It started with simple harassment, words said offhandedly as mutants passed by, then op-eds and blog posts and vlogs and podcasts criticizing how mutants were taking jobs away from ordinary humans started appearing, then restaurants, groceries and stores started banning mutants from coming in, refusing to serve them.

Then President Harold Murdoch happened. As a hard-core, self-made Red State conservative Republican from the heart of the Midwest, Murdoch had seized this opportunity of dissatisfaction, anger and economic meltdown to run on a platform that basically consisted of the slogan "America for Americans" and "Humans First" rhetoric. Because of him, a new bill had been signed into law, the Mutant Integration and Cooperation Enforcement Act, or the Mutant Act for short, which required mutants to register, be "educated" and "integrated" back into society. The promise of a better life. Mutants thought this meant the government was going to protect them - train them, protect them, shield them from the growing hostility non-mutants threw at them. But what the Mutant Act did was gather the mutants, classifiy them, label them, train them and put them out there. The younger the better. The older ones incarcerated and re-educated so they're harmless enough when they are re-integrated into civilian life. The younger ones, trained to do the government work. The harmless mutants - they called them Alpha, Beta and Theta mutants - they get re-integrated back into society, some kept in the Facility and absorbed into the military. Ryan, she thinks is Beta at best. She suspects Molly is like her. And Hope, well, she thinks Hope is an Alpha, judging by her movements, the careful way she surveys the surroundings, the military precision with which she makes decisions, even the way she takes command and how automatically protective she is of Ryan, Molly and now, even Amy. As they move through the woods, Hope is careful to go first, hands and arms ready to shoot out and stop Amy if she suspects there is a booby trap, if the terrain is dangerous and she thinks Amy might stumble or slip and fall. She makes sure Amy is behind her, and once, when she spots a drone in the distance, she grabs Amy and holds her, index finger to her lips, signalling to her that she be quiet lest they catch them. As they stand behind a tree, Hope holds her, hands on her waist. They stand for what seems like forever, trying to be as quiet as possible, waiting for the danger to pass. Before long, Amy is suddenly aware of how close Hope is, her warm hands on Amy's waist, breath blowing on her forehead. Then she notices her own hands have found themselves on Hope's chest, clutching the collar of her jacket and she can feel the pounding of Hope's heart against her hand. As they hear a crack, a shout in the distance, she feels Hope grip her tighter, gathers her closer, and at first she tenses but then she feels a warmth flowing from Hope's body into hers and she relaxes. As time passes, Hope slowly draws herself away and Amy reluctantly does, too. There's a moment when they share a look, a look that goes on a bit longer, Hope's eyes, pretty and black and shining gazing deep into her, Amy slowly blushes before she turns her head away, and Hope clears her throat and says, voice soft, "We...should get going." Amy nods and the moment passes as Hope turns, grabs her hand and leads the way.

Amy swallows. She suspects when pissed off or unleashed, Hope could be far more dangerous than she lets on and suspects the Agency wants her back as badly as the others. 

The more dangerous ones, the ones they call Omega mutants, are terminated. No questions asked. Led to a chamber to be annihilated. No paper trail, no grave, no nothing. A few lucky ones are kept for research or for other uses the Agency might have for them.

Amy was an Omega mutant.

Amy was supposed to be terminated. _Murdered_ , she thinks. But she'd escaped. Used what power she could to escape The Chamber as they call it. Now she's on the run with the Agency snapping at her heels and nowhere to go.

As Amy glances at Hope, she wonders what the other girl would think if she found out what Amy had been tasked to do at the Agency.

Maybe Hope would hate her more.

And maybe she'd have every right to do so...

***

Hours later, when darkness has fallen, and the stars have come out and the moon is obscured by clouds and they can barely see in the dark, Amy finally stops, leans on her knees, bends and takes a deep breath. 

"We should stop," she suggests, between breaths.

Hope shakes her head. "Too dangerous." 

"It's dark, it's late, we're both exhausted. At this rate, we're making enough noise to bring the cavalry in,"Amy notes.

Hope glares at her but then grudgingly says, "Fine." 

She looks around then, scans the trees and murmurs, "We need to find shelter...but there's nothing here that can shelter us."

"We can stop here."

"Are you not listening?" Hope asks, irritated. "We need to find shelter. If we don't, we're going to get caught."

"I can help you," Amy says.

"No, you can't,"Hope says, already shaking her head.

In the distance, they hear sirens, gunshots, shouts. They both turn. 

"We need to go,"Hope says.

Amy shakes her head. "I can't. I'm too tired..."

Hope comes up to her, impossibly close, tall and imposing and angry, fear and anger in her eyes. "You will come with me. We stay here, we fucking _die_."

"You don't understand,"Amy says now, pleading. "I can help you..."

"No, you can't."

"Yes, I can."

"No, you can't."

"Yes, I can!"

"No, you can't Anabelle, stop insisting you can!" Hope is practically shouting now, angry and glowering. 

Amy is taken aback by Hope's outburst, takes a step back. Hope realizes she's just called Amy another name. 

"I'm sorry,"Hope says then. "This is how we die. When we think we can and do stuff and get caught and... " she stops. 

They hear the unmistakable sound now - soldiers, shouts, dogs, engines roaring.

Amy reaches out, touches Hope's arm, holds it, before her hand slides down to touch Hope's hand. She feels the warmth in he "Trust me, okay?" Amy says softly now as she intertwines her fingers with Hope's, feels herself shiver and warm up at feeling Hope's hand in hers.

Hope looks at her, eyes boring deep into her soul. She slowly nods.

Amy nods back as they see lights and voices nearing them. She grips Hope's hand and stretches her free hand out in the direction of the voices and lights. Hope nervously presses her hand, Amy squeezes hers reassuringly. Hope's hand is cold and sweaty, and Amy can see the panic in her eyes. 

As the first man and dog approach, a shimmer appears all around them, surrounding Amy and Hope. The man, tall, muscular, army fatigues, bullet proof vest, high-powered rifle in hand, cap, gloves, army boots stepping on dead leaves and branches. The dog, unusually massive, saliva sliding off equally massive fangs, growls and barks behind him. Hope steps back. Amy can hear Hope's heavy breathing. Amy doesn't say anything, but stands her ground, hand firm in Hope's hand as her other hand remains oustretched. Hope is shaking her head, afraid, but then the man steps up, right in front of Amy's face. Hope stops, stares, watches, puzzled as the man looks right through Amy and Hope, not seeing them at all. Hope looks at Amy, a question in her eyes. Amy shrugs and smiles, not staying anything as the rest of the soldiers pass by with dogs and weapons and lights.

***

"I can manipulate matter,"Amy simply explains later to Hope's wordless question as they lie beneath the stars, Hope's jacket spread beneath them, backpack used as pillow. They should be cold, the temperature having dropped significantly, whiff of early winter in the air, but they are surprisingly warm, Hope's warmth filling her. Amy nonchalantly adds that she'd just manipulated matter around them, at the woods, to make it seem as if they did not exist. 

"How?" Hope had asked, eyes suspicious, lying beside her, shoulder touching hers.

"I can sense matter, feel the atoms, the molecules, and reconstitute them to hide us," Amy explains further, distracted by Hope's nearness. "It's...quantum physics."

Hope nods, still not convinced. "Okay."

Amy looks at her, already guessing what Hope is thinking.

"You're Omega,"Hope says. She says it as a statement, not as a question. She spits it out like an accusation, like it's Amy's fault they're in this situation in the first place.

Amy takes a deep breath. "You're Alpha." 

Hope doesn't deny it. "Why were you running away from the Agency?" she asks instead. 

"Why were _you_?"

Hope doesn't answer that either. 

"I know you probably don't trust me, but..."

"Yeah, no, I don't trust you," Hope retorts, cutting her off. "I don't trust anyone. Especially Omegas. Wasn't your kind the one that jump started this mutant manhunt in the first place?"

"Um...uh..."

"Wasn't your kind the one that came up with the Chambers? The mutant classifications? I'm Alpha because some Omega came up with that brilliant idea...?"

"I'm not..." Amy is already shaking her head. "My kind?"

"Wasn't it an Omega who came up with the Mutant Act?"

"I'm not...like the others,"Amy stammers lamely, already knowing defending herself is useless. More than mutants, she couldn't deny that people hated Omega mutants the most.

"Sure, you're not," Hope says now, voice bitter and filled with venom. "Til you are and you get everyone, including mutants, hurt."

"Why are you being like this?" Amy asks. "I'm not like everyone else. I wouldn't hurt anyone." She pauses, then says, more quietly, "I wouldn't hurt your friends. Or you." She blushes in the dark. 

Hope is unfazed. "Your kind hurt Anabelle. Your kind designed the Mutant Act, your kind is just..." Her voice cracks and she stops, unable to say anything else. 

Amy sees Hope clench her fists, senses her breath quicken. She sees her try to push down the rage.

"I should probably just let them catch you," Hope says now. "Make it easier on all of us."

Amy feels like crying now. "You...you don't mean that," she says now, lump forming in her throat. "Why would you say that? You don't know what they do to Omegas."

"I know enough," Hope spits out. "I know what they did to Anabelle."

Amy doesn't know what to say. They lay silent on the ground, and Amy can feel the chasm opening wide between them, is reminded how different she is from the other mutants. And until now, how alone. She feels the sadness take over again, like it did before. And she suddenly feels so lonely. So exhausted. Just...so alone. She feels the tears form and tries not to sniff or let the tears fall. She wants to say something, wants to defend herself, but she knows Hope is right. It's not her fault, she knows, but her own kind had betrayed other mutants, had put them in this position. She knows nothing she could do would make Hope change her mind. Omegas that came before her had made sure of that. 

They do not speak for the rest of the night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos and comments. Liked this one too? Let me know in the comments or leave kudos. Thanks and cheers!
> 
> P.S. Come check out my original works at wattpad. Find me at "freerangeegghead". :) Thank you!


	3. Chapter 3

Amy wakes up to light rain softly pattering on her face and Hope's somber voice gently waking her up.

"It's raining, we need to go,"Hope says quietly, backpack already on her back, as she gets up.

Amy feels disoriented at first, wonders where she is, sees gray sky and trees and rain, feels biting cold and rain on her cheeks, feels the hard earth beneath her back. She then focuses her eyes on Hope's, and her gaze lingers on Hope, dark, guarded eyes regarding her, lips drawn in a grim line, face, freshly washed, ever beautiful and somber. There is none of the hostility from last night, only urgency, and concern in her eyes. When she realizes she's been looking at Hope for far too long she blushes, looks away, rubs the goosebumps from her shivering arms, reluctantly gets up. She looks up at the sky, closes her eyes, enjoys the feel of the rain on her cheeks. She's not actually experienced rain like this. Never felt the cool sensation of rain water on skin. She finds she likes it. In fact, she likes being out here, on the outside, amongst trees and sky and earth and grass. It's something unlike anything she's ever experienced before. She finds herself smiling at all the different sensations she's feeling.

Hope moves to put her jacket on, and as Amy looks around, she clears her throat, making Hope look toward her.

Amy sighs. "You don't like me, that's fine. You have a right to be pissed. And you were right not to trust me." Amy swallows them. "Sometimes, I don't even know if I can trust myself," she says softly.

Hope is surprised by her admission.

"I can't speak for all Omegas. And I'm sure some of them have done awful things to you and your friends," Amy says quietly. "And I'm sorry about that. But we were, __are__ victims, too. We're prisoners, same as you. The difference only is they've realized we're useful and can be taken advantage of."

"Your kind was responsible for some of the torture the other mutants went through," Hope says just as quietly.

"You think Omegas did that willingly?" Amy counters. "You think we weren't drugged and brainwashed when we were being forced to do those things?"

"No more than any other mutant," Hope counters.

Amy doesn't know how to answer that.

"I think some of you Omegas actually enjoy doing what you do."

"But I'm not like them," Amy insists, sounding desperate now. She doesn't know why Hope's opinion of her should matter, or why her comments sting.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure you're exactly like them. Exactly."

Amy shakes her head. "If you could just.. give me a chance, I'd like to change how you think about us, show how different I really am."

"People don't change, Amy,"Hope says. "They never do."

"Then why are you here?"

"Why are __you__ here? Shouldn't you be at some Facility torturing people or I don't know, inventing new ways to hurt your kind?"

Amy's about to cry now. "You don't even know me..."

"Sure, you're a bad ass who takes no prisoners and cries in her sleep, for all the shit she's done."

The tears are rolling down Amy's cheeks now. "Why are you being like this?"

Hope shrugs. "I just don't like Omegas."

"Well, you're just an Alpha who's going to have a short, fucking brutal life. Without Omegas, you'll be dead by morning."

That feels like a slap to Hope. Her face screws up and Amy can see the rage behind those beautiful eyes. She watches as Hope's hands turn into fists, blue flame appearing slowly.

"Oh, yeah, incinerate me, that's mature," Amy says, sarcastically.

"Tell me, Omega girl, do you bleed?"

"No more than you do, Hope,"Amy replies evenly.

They stand there, facing each other, not saying anything.

But then, they hear shouts in the distance, dogs barking, shots. They both turn and look beyond the trees.

"The fuck was that?" Hope says then.

Amy shakes her head. "I don't...know..."

They peer into the trees but they are still too far to see.

"The fuck are those?" Hope asks. "S and R?"

Amy shakes her head again. Search and Retrieval units, responsible for gathering potential or escaped mutants, although they've also become synonymous with a lot of the horror stories mutants have heard about S and R. The S and R unit is the mutant bogeyman, the kind that mutants tell mutant kids to fear and run away from.

"I don't think so..."Amy says then.

Amy can not see the uniforms that would set them apart as part of the Mutant Integration and Cooperation Enforcement Agency or M.I.C.E. She could see fatigues, caps, vests, sleeveless shirts,boots, mullets,thick beards, side burns, tattoos and machine guns. There are at least three of them, male, Caucasian, one short and squat, paunch jutting out, another tall and thin and a third one fat and slow.

When one of them spots Amy and Hope, he grins, revealing yellowed, chipped teeth with gaps in between, spits some tobacco on the side, produces a large, shiny, silver gun and aims it at them.

"What the fuck...?" Hope asks.

Before Hope can finish her question, the man fires at them. Amy's eyes widen, she puts up her hands and tries to create a shield. The air shimmers and crackles, electric, the hair on the back of Hope and Amy's rise, goosebumps form on their skin, as the rain continues to fall on them.

The blast penetrates Amy's shield and they are thrown yards from their camp site.

"What the fuck was that?" Hope asks as she picks herself up. "I thought you could manipulate matter and shit?"

"Weapon," Amy says as she gets up.

"What?"

"Anti-matter weapon,"Amy says as the man aims at them again. "They have weapons now for mutants just like me."

"Who the fuck are they?"

"Bounty hunters." Amy looks at her squarely. "Run."

Just then they are hit by another blast.

***

When the explosion clears, Hope grabs Amy's hand. Amy's ears are ringing, her eyes burning, throat burning, body covered with mud and grime.

"We need to go,"Hope says then as the men approach them, dogs barking.

Amy nods.

They start running.

***

The rain grows stronger. The earth slick and wet and muddy. Hope and Amy slip and slide down muddy slopes.

Another blast explodes a few inches from them. Hope tries to throw fireballs at them but they are undeterred.

"Can't you do your matter thing?!?" Hope asks Amy.

"Not with an anti-matter weapon I can't,"Amy replies.

"You can run but you can't hide!" the man shouts, cackling. "But can't lie this is fucking fun!"

They keep running as shots are again fired. They then reach the edge of a rushing river.

They both look around and see no other way out.

"Boat!" Amy shouts.

Hope nods, pulls at the boat with surprising strength. She gestures at Amy to get in. Amy gets in and Hope pushes. Hope finds a paddle and start pushing away from the riverbank as another blast hits them. Hope angrily lobs a fireball at them. They keep shooting at them but the river carries them through the rapids, but then Hope and Amy see the edge of the river.

"Oh, __fuck__ ," Hope says as the boat rushes towards the edge, dips and plunges into the depths of the falls.

Amy grabs Hope then and makes a shield as they plummet to the depths of the falls.

***

Hope gasps and coughs as she swims to the edge of the river, arm on Amy, unconscious, trying to keep her afloat. She barely manages it to bring both of them at the edge of the bank, water lapping at them. They can still hear shouts, shots, barking. Hope slowly gets up, tries to wake Amy. Amy is barely conscious, feeling groggy and dizzy as she feels Hope put her arm Hope's shoulder. They both feel disoriented as Hope scans the forest, beyond the trees, wondering where they could turn from here.

Hope decides then as she pushes away from the bank. "We need to find shelter."

***

Amy doesn't know how long they walk. But she knows the rain doesn't stop and she starts to shiver, uncontrollably, teeth chattering.

"You okay?" Hope asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Amy says between chattering teeth. "I just...feel dizzy, that's all."

"You want us to stop?"

Amy shakes her head. "No, we are not stopping. We need to find shelter."

They wander around in the forest before Hope stops and spots something.

"Look," Hope says.

"What?" Amy asks, looking up.

Hope smiles at her. "Shelter."

***

Hope carries Amy into the cave, and Amy stretches out her hand and with trembling fingers makes to shimmer and cover the cave. She then collapses in a heap on the cave floor.

Hope rushes to make a fire in the middle of the cave, throwing dried sticks she can find. She pushes Amy beside the fire as Amy starts to shiver and shake. Amy sees Hope stand there uncertainly before she starts to remove her fringe jacket, then starts to unbutton her red flannel shirt.

"What the fuck are you doing?"Amy asks weakly.

"Hypothermia,"Hope answers, as reaches for her white shirt and takes it off.

Amy smiles weakly despite herself. "Are you trying to seduce me?"

Hope ignores that as she unbuttons her jeans, unzips her pants and pulls them down her long thighs, then remembers she has to take her Converse shoes off first.

"'Cause I'd really rather not do this when I'm on the brink of death and barely conscious," Amy says then.

"Reduced body temperature happens when a body dissipates more heat than it absorbs. In humans, it is defined as a body core temperature below 95.0 °F," Hope recites as if from memory.

"What are you, wikipedia or something?" Amy mumbles. When she sees Hope naked, she says, "Wow, I thought you were just some basic hot girl...but wow, you're not just...literally hot...you're really, fucking hot. Like, why are you so fucking hot?"

Hope ignores that and speaks. "In mild hypothermia there is shivering and mental confusion," Hope says as she stands there in her underwear shivering. "In moderate hypothermia shivering stops and confusion increases. But in severe hypothermia, the heart could stop and you could die." She looks at Amy then. "But body heat, yours and mine, can help save you."

Amy nods, as understanding slowly dawns on her, as Hope comes to her, kneels in front of her and searches her eyes.

"May I?" Hope asks then.

Amy nods as she weakly reaches for her shirt. Hope helps her take her shirt off, then her jeans and then, before Amy can say anything else, Hope is embracing her, one hand on her head, tenderly caressing her, the other on her back, as she rubs her back gently.

"It's going to be okay," Hope says softly over and over even as, before Amy's very eyes, Hope begins to glow and Amy feels a warmth coursing through her veins.

Then Amy loses consciousness and all goes black.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello dear readers,
> 
> Sorry for the late upload. Been busy but here's an update for this story. Updates on other story/ies to follow soon as busy sched clears up. Thanks and happy reading. Cheers!

Amy wakes to a fire and Hope sitting beside her, eyes closed, hunched and huddled against the fire.

Amy slowly gets up, winces at the dizziness, before she lies down again. She debates whether to greet Hope or not and thus set off another round of hostility but Hope looks different in this light, exhausted, defeated, just about ready to give up the fight.

There is a silence that stretches between them before Hope speaks up, voice echoing in the cavernous silence.

"I'm...sorry about earlier," Hope begins, voice quiet and low, as if saying the words is difficult for her. "I...was exhausted and pissed and...I shouldn't have taken it out on you..."

Amy shakes her head. "It's okay. Don't worry about it."

Hope doesn't say anything. She doesn't look at Amy "How are you?"

Amy runs a trembling hand on her hair. "I'm fine."

Another silence ensues, the fire crackling, distant sounds – crickets, a fox howling, an owl hooting, wind rustling the wind – coming through the mouth of the cave.  
Hope nods. She closes her eyes, looking as if she is straining to hear something before she gives up and sighs, moves to lean by the wall of the cave. Amy follows her movement with her eyes, feels an ache slowly build from the pit of her stomach, feels an itch in her hands, feels something, like an electrical charge go through her finger tips as she looks at Hope's profile nicely illuminated by the flames, the graceful curve of her neck, the smoothness of her cheeks, her aquiline nose, the thin lips that seem to be made for kissing and she briefly has an image of Hope's lips on her skin, kissing a trail down her neck, then to her collarbones, all the way to her chest, tongue swirling against her breast, tip of her tongue on Amy's hardened nipple…

Suddenly, Hope's eyes fly open and she stares at Amy, looking surprised and confused, eyebrows furrowed together. Amy blushes, feels the heat crawl up her face. Hope holds her gaze, looking uncertain, looking as if she wants to say something, eyes questioning and curious, as if she'd just discovered Amy for the first time. Amy's blush deepens and she reluctantly tears her gaze away, afraid she'd been found out,cursing herself for the sudden desire coursing through her. She stops. Not so sudden. Hope is attractive. Tall. Capable. Smart. And strong. She remembers the muscles, felt them when Hope had held her. At the lab, they'd have said Hope would be a viable partner. She'd have been bred to another Alpha or Omega, just to see what the offspring would be like. Amy wouldn't have stood a chance. Amy would've been bred with another Omega. She wouldn't have had any choice. They'd have dragged her kicking and screaming to one of the mating facilities – or just extracted DNA and mixed it up with the other Omegas. But some sick scientists – like Boston - would've gotten off on wanting the Omegas breed the natural way, see how evolution would do its work. Boston and some of the others were twisted that way, subtle in the kind of violence they inflicted on the “mutes” – the nickname they gave the mutants. An apt nickname – mutants had no rights and so had no voice.

Hope clears her throat. “Could you stop thinking so loud? I can hear you all the way here…”

Amy's jaw drops. Speechless, she stares at Hope. “You…you could read my mind?”

Hope stares at her. “No, I can just sense you spiralling all the way there…”

“Oh, ha-ha…sorry…”

There is silence again before Hope speaks up. “Bio-electrical system…”

“I’m sorry?”

“I can sense things, same as you, I can sense energies, but I can only seem to conjure fire,” Hope explains. “That’s how I can communicate with Molly. I can't do it with regular people, just the ones who are mutes. For some strange reason, being a mutant kind of amps up energies, so I can sense mutes more…or Molly…just Molly I guess. Until now…”

Amy's blush flares again. “You can sense my energy?”

Hope tilts her head, studying Amy's face and Amy looks away, an errant thought flashing through her mind about how pretty Hope looks looking pensive and how she wants to reach out and put her hands on Hope and kiss her.

Hope shakes her head. “Yeah.I guess.”  
Amy sighs inwardly, relieved Hope doesn't know what she's going through right now. Fuck you, teenage hormones, she thinks.

Suddenly, Hope speaks up. “Why’d you run away?”

“What?”

Hope shrugs. “Why’d you escape? Omegas get the better end of the deal than most of us. To hear 'em talk, you'd think Omegas are like the fucking second coming or something.”

There's something in how Hope says the last part, with open resentment and disdain that makes Amy say, “Why’d you run away?”

Hope looks at her, not saying anything, face expressionless and for a second Amy thinks the other girl is going to blow up at her and incinerate her. Hope is hard to read, she concludes and this is probably why she'd make a good mute Alpha soldier.

Hope looks away then, draws one knee up, rests a hand an arm on it and says, voice flat and emotionless, “It was okay at first. Young orphan out on the streets. Lived in parks and subways and bridges with the same clothes on my back everyday. Ate shit from garbage cans. Foster home after. Didn't care much for them. Kept burning shit up. But then government workers come telling you you don't have to live with your foster parents and twelve other kids? Seemed like heaven.” She stares at the fire and doesn't speak for so long Amy thinks the story is over but then Hope continues. “It was okay at first. I had a lot of rage. And it was great to be at a place where you not only get a roof over your head, some shelter and food, but also encouraged to use your powers. They kept making me show them how hot I could go. Pushed me to see how far I could go. And it was great for awhile. I liked the training. I figured out I was good at fighting and shit – comes from growing up on the streets – and they liked that. I was an Alpha to them. And you know when you’re an Alpha you're automatically better than all of 'em other mutes. Better than Betas but not as strong or scary as the Omegas.” She looks at Amy and Amy nods. Hope sighs. “They told me I was made for this. That I was doing my part to protect American freedom and shit. That I was gonna stop bad mutes from hurting the public. That that was my duty as a citizen. And it was fine at first. There were mutes who were bad and tried to kill people. But then I realized they were asking me to kill the good ones, too. Even the ones who didn't do anything. And young ones. Kids. Mostly Betas who couldn't make it to Alphas. They'd order me to do it because Omegas gave them the order. Because Omegas were the ones who decided who were good enough to keep and breed and work and useless enough to terminate…murder, more like...” Here Hope looks at Amy, eyes shining with more than the light of the fire, angry, accusing, as if Amy herself had given the order.

Amy swallows, not knowing what to say. What does one say when someone has just accused your kind of murder? What does one say when you know it's true and you've witnessed it firsthand and been disgusted with it you run away? Amy doesn't know. Amy has no answer. So she sighs again and says, quietly, “I’m sorry.” She has no excuse. No explanation. It is what it is.

Hope seems to understand that because she nods then and says, “Why’d you run away anyway?”

Amy shrugs. “Same reason as you I guess. I wasn't going to be assigned my unit until I got a bit older, but yeah, I'd have started issuing those kill orders, too.”

Hope looks at her then with new understanding on her face. And maybe a bit of apology.

Amy looks at the fire. “ That and they kept locking me up in the basement – the dungeon, this stupid, fucking vault that's little more than the size of a fucking cubicle, reinforced steel, with only a little window. You could shout all you want and no one would hear you. They'd lock you up if you hurt anybody or if you refused to hurt anybody and nobody would tell you how to control it because they were studying how you were, what made you tick. I used to scream myself hoarse for days on end and they'd never let me out. I used to punch and scratch the walls til my knuckles bled and cried til all the tears run dry and they still wouldn't let me out and I figured out later on if I just did what they said they'd let me out and then they did but then I realized the Facility was just a bigger prison and I didn't want to live like that.”

“Is that why you were screaming?”

“What?”

“When you were sick and delirious, you were screaming 'Not the vault! Not the vault!’”

Amy slowly nods. “Yeah.”

Hope doesn't say anything at first. Then she says, “I’m sorry.”

Amy shrugs, wipes a tear from her cheek and smiles. “It is what it fucking is.”

But then Hope is looking at her with a look in her eye that Amy just can't quite place and she looks away, trying not to cry.

She hears movement from behind her and realizes Hope has moved closer. “I’m sorry…I didn't…I didn't know…”

Which makes Amy just cry more. “Please leave me alone. If you're just gonna tell me some shit about Omegas again…”

Hope is shaking her head. “No, of course not. You're a fucking bad ass.”

That makes Amy laugh a little. “Fuck you.”  
It's Hope's turn to laugh. “You're a bad ass who likes to cry in camp fires and caves. But still a bad ass.”

Amy shoves her back lightly with her hand. Hope catches her hand and holds it, warmth from her fingers sending an electric spark down Amy's hand, wrist, all the way down to her arm. She blushes and pulls her hand away. Hope looks surprised.

“I’m sorry,” Hope says again, though for what, Amy isn't sure. “I shouldn't have…”  
Amy is shaking her head. “It's fine…”

“I'm a fucking idiot, honestly,” Hope says then. “Anabelle kept saying that…and Molly, too…”

“What?”

“Straight girls…and how I keep liking them…and here, now, of all fucking places…”

Amy is looking at her, confused, before it suddenly dawns on her what Hope had just said.

“I mean, you're probably not even into girls, so fuck my life, seriously… I…”

Amy doesn't even let her finish, she leans over, tilts her head up and kisses Hope, lips and tongue so gentle it catches Hope off-guard. She draws back, scared and panicking as she looks at Hope's expressionless face. Neither speak as they stare at each other. Then, heart pounding in her ear, Amy leans over and kisses Hope again.

***

Of all things that could have happened that night, sleeping with Hope would have been the last thing on Amy's mind. She hadn't expected it to happen in the way it did. But it did and she would be lying if she didn't admit that she's relieved and grateful it happened.

She hadn't expected Hope to kiss her back. Hadn't expected the girl to turn and hold her and kiss her with such heat and desire. Hadn't expected Hope to reach for her shirt and take it off as Amy's trembling fingers reached for Hope's flannel shirt, then her white shirt to take them off, swallowing the nervousness as Hope sat there, skin as smooth and pale as the moon, a half-smile on her face as she pulls Amy on her lap, one warm hand on Amy's naked back, the other on Amy's neck, lips gently kissing her before she starts to leave a trail of kisses up Amy's neck, behind her ear, then down her throat, to her chest, lips lingering on her breast, before one hand pushes Amy's bra away and lips engulf Amy's breast. Amy closes her eyes, sees stars, hands wrapping around Hope as Hope's arm tightens around her, her other hand desperate and insistent as it touches and squeezes and rubs her back, her leg, her thighs, the inside of her thighs, before Hope's fingers find her jeans, pull down the zipper, dip inside her underwear and find the wetness within. Amy moans, rests her head against Hope's neck, inhales sweat and salt and something sweet and fragrant and she plants a kiss on Hope's neck and she feels Hope shudder, fingers faltering where they've been caressing her inside, and she moans in protest, and Hope resumes and before she knows it, Hope enters her and she gasps, grip tightening around her neck, as she rocks against Hope, feels waves of pleasure roll against her, over and over again and when, against her will her body picks up speed, breathing heavy and desperate, and then she gasps, draws Hope in and Hope leans in and kisses her and something tight builds within her and then she feels something break in her and she holds Hope and she doesn't realize it until Hope is whispering “It’s gonna be okay,” that she's crying on Hope's shoulder.

***

They lie quietly then, fully dressed, Hope's arms around her, Amy's head resting on Hope's arm, Hope's hand rubbing her back gently, occasionally planting a kiss on her forehead, or kissing her on her lips. They do not speak for awhile, then, Amy still catching her breath, still not quite believing she'd made love to Hope, that she'd been inside her only a few moments ago. She runs a finger on Hope's arm. Hope looks and sees Amy tracing a scar on Hope's arm, a small one, the size of a quarter.

“What's this?” Amy asks.

Hope doesn't say anything at first before she says, “Taser…I guess? Someone wanted to see if aggressive external stimulus brought out my powers or something.”

Amy had seen other scars, too, but she's afraid to ask. But Hope beats her to it, explains each one, scars from training fights, knife fights gone wrong, scar from when she got nicked sleeping on the streets. A few of them she got from living on the streets, a few from the Facility. She tells Amy, voice toneless, what punishments Alphas got for disobeying orders, for missing the mark, even for sleeping on the wrong bunk or forgetting to tie your shoelaces or reporting to work unkempt or without your uniform.

“Why didn't you leave before now?” Amy had asked then, curious. She knew Hope could do it, sure with her training she could have escaped.

Hope takes a deep breath and Amy could feel her shrug. “Where was I going to go?”  
Amy had no answer to that. She shifts so she could see Hope. The fire had died down, embers glowing, giving them little light. There's a breeze coming from the mouth of the cave, and Amy feels it, shivers a bit, feels goosebumps trailing down her arm, but Hope's hand comes up, and rubs her arm. Amy feels warm immediately after, could actually feel warmth coming from Hope. Amy reaches for Hope's hand them, twines her fingers with Hope's and smiles.

“How do you do it?” Amy asks, thumb rubbing on the back of Hope's hand.

“What?”

“Make your hands go all…flame-y like that…I mean I know how it works in theory...but…”  
Hope doesn't say anything at first, before she says, “I don't know. I just…see all this…stuff…all shiny and bright and sparkly, ready to burst into flame…”

“How do you control it?”

“It used to be when I get really mad that's when I'd get all flame-y and stuff. The madder I get, the bigger the flames…” Hope stops then. “Anyway, I had to learn to control it. This person…the one we're meeting…Ms. Fine…she told me to be careful. That if I wasn't, I could go supernova and that would be the end of life as we know it…I don't really believe I could do that but…she was the only who cared enough to tell me these things…she was the only one who cared enough to help me and Anabelle and Molly escape, so…”

“Anabelle…”

“Yeah, she's gone now…sacrificed herself so Molly and I could get away…”

Amy could not bring herself to ask how Anabelle lost her life, so she keeps quiet. Hope taps her shoulder then and Amy senses the mood has shifted.

“We should sleep,” Hope suggest then, voice quiet.

Amy nods. “Okay.”

“Okay.”

Hope shifts so she could get comfortable, but she never takes her arm off of Amy or her hands around her. Amy nestles on her side, comforted by her nearness and warmth. She listens as Hope's breathing evens out, feels herself being lulled to sleep by the rhythmic rising and falling of Hope's chest, the steady beating of Hope's heart against her ear. Before she drifts to sleep, she mumbles something to Hope.

“She's not the only one, you know.”

“What?” Hope asks drowsily.

“Who cares about you.”

Hope tightens her hold on Amy. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“You saying you care for me, too?” Hope asks, voice light and sleepy.

Amy hesitates, feels this sense like if she admits to it,a line would be crossed and there would be no going back, so she swallows, slowly nods and says, “Yeah…”  
She feels Hope lean over and whisper, “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Hope kisses her then. “Good to know. ‘Cause I think I'm beginning to feel that for you, too.”

Amy smiles to herself and holds Hope a little closer. She falls asleep feeling a certain kind of peace she hasn't felt in a long while.

**Author's Note:**

> Liking/loving it so far? Want some more? Want to know about this new world? Please leave comments and kudos. Thanks for reading. Cheers.


End file.
